909 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone: 650.941.4350
Fax: 866.231.0407
info@sileducation.com

SAT/ACT

UC Doorways Course List

School for Independent Learners offers one-to-one and small-group courses at the college prep, advanced, honors, and Advanced Placement levels. All coursework is approved by UC Doorways, the high school articulation office of the University of California and California State University systems.

Courses labeled 'AP' or 'honors' award an extra GPA point, where A=5.0 and B=4.0, and so on. AP and honors courses are equally challenging, with college-level outcomes. Courses labeled 'advanced' do not award an extra GPA point, but are typically second or third-year courses building upon pre-requisite coursework. For advanced and college-prep courses, A=4.0 and B=3.0. Students who plan to enroll in advanced, honors, or AP courses must meet the pre- and co-requisites, or seek an exception from the Department Chair.

Most SIL courses are full-year programs of study, comprising two five-unit semesters. Students may elect to take only one semester of a full-year course, in one of two ways: 1. complete one-half of a year-long course, either the first semester or the second, without studying the material contained in the other semester, or 2. address specific knowlege gaps by mixing-and-matching material from the first and second semesters.

Courses below marked with as asterisk are pending UC Doorways approval.

To discuss customized coursework at SIL, contact Richard at 650.941.4350 or rgowers@sileducation.com.

2012 - 2013 Course List

a. History & Social Studies
  • World History
    • College Prep & AP
  • World Studies
    Contemporary World Studies
    • College Prep & UC Honors*
  • US History
    • College Prep & AP
  • American Studies
    • Integrated with 'b' Category English
  • European History
    • College Prep & AP

One Semester Courses:

  • Government
    AP Government & Politics: US
    AP Government & Politics: Comparative

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b. English
  • English 9 or 10 Courses:

    Language & Composition 1
    Literature & Composition 1
    Exploratory Thinking
    Genres in Literature

  • English 11 or 12 Courses:

  • Language & Composition 2
    AP English Language & Composition
    Literature & Composition 2
    AP English Literature & Composition
    Advanced Composition
    World Literature
    American Literature
    • College Prep & UC Honors
    American Studies
    • Integrated with 'a' Category History
    The American Dream
    • Alternative to American Literature
    British Literature
  • Contemporary Literature
  • Film as Literature
  • Poetry Analysis & Composition
  • English 11 or 12 One-Semester Courses:

    Philosophy in Literature
    Literature of Sport
    Mythology: Classic & Contemporary
    Magic Realist & Fantasy Literature
    The Emersonian Tradition
    Shakespeare & His Legacy
    Literature of the Natural World
    Dramatic Literature
    Modernity & Postmodernity
    The Absurd & Existential in Literature

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c. Mathematics
  • Algebra 1
  • Algebra 1 / Geometry
  • Geometry
    • College Prep & Non-UC Honors*
  • Algebra 2
    • College Prep & Non-UC Honors*
  • Algebra 2 / Trigonometry
    • College Prep & Non-UC Honors*
  • Trigonometry / Math Analysis
    • College Prep & Non-UC Honors*
  • Pre-Calculus
  • Honors Math Analysis
    Statistics
    • College Prep & AP
  • Calculus
    • College Prep & AP (AB & BC)
  • Discrete Mathematics
    Linear Algebra
  • Differential Equations

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d. Laboratory Science
  • Biology
    • College Prep, UC Honors & AP
  • Chemistry
    • College Prep, UC Honors & AP
  • Physics
    • College Prep, UC Honors & AP (B, C: Mechanics, C: Electricity & Magnetism)
  • AP Environmental Science
    Anatomy & Physiology Advanced

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e. Language Other Than English
  • Spanish 1, 2 & 3
    Spanish 4
    • College Prep & UC Honors
  • AP Spanish Literature
    AP Spanish Language
  • French 1, 2 & 3
    French 4
    • College Prep & UC Honors
    AP French Language & Culture
  • Latin 1, 2, 3, 4 & AP
  • German 1, 2, 3, 4 & AP
  • Mandarin 1, 2, 3, 4 & AP
  • Japanese 1, 2, 3, 4, & AP
  • American Sign Language 1, 2, 3 & 4
    Italian 1, 2, 3 & 4

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f. Visual & Performing Arts
  • Introduction to the Studio Arts
  • AP Studio Art: Drawing
  • Photography
    • College Prep & Advanced
    Cinema Production
    Film & Video Production
    Drawing & Painting
    Ceramics & Sculpture
    Music Theory
    • College Prep & AP
    Music of the 20th Century
    Instruments & their Masters
    Introduction to the Performing Arts
    Dramatic Performance
    • College Prep & Advanced
    AP Art History
    Contemporary Art Studies
    • College Prep & UC Honors
g. Electives
  • Environmental Science
    Art History
    Creative Writing
    Psychology
    • College Prep & AP
    US History through Film
    World Religions
    Modern Western Religions*
    Animal Behavior
    Astronomy
    Marine Biology

  • One-Semester Elective Courses:

    Economics
    • College Prep & AP (Micro & Macro)
  • Computer Science
    • College Prep & AP
    Philosophy & Ethics
    • College Prep & Advanced
    Social Justice
    Ancient History
    Comparative Government & Politics
    Sociology
    Special Investigations in Science
    Wildlife Zoology
    Field Botany

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